Difference between revisions of "Tem"

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==October 5: Taoism==
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==October 20, 2010==
  
:*I found the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy article "Zhuangzi" really helpful.  [[User:WikiSysop|Alfino]] 16:08, 5 October 2010 (UTC)
 
 
===Definitions===
 
:I don't know about you guys, but i have no idea what half of the Taoism terms mean in the reading. So, i figured maybe a little conceptual framework might help. Here is a short list of Taoism definitions that helped me figure out what was going on. i reproduced some of the immediately relavent ones below. If you want to look up your own, here is the website that i am drawing these definitions.[http://www.religionfacts.com/taoism/glossary.htm#t] Im not sure exactly how accurate these definitions are so if you think one is wrong, please change it. . . 
 
  
:1. Tao: the unchanged principle behind the universe. The unproduced producer of all that is (unmoved mover?) The Tao-Te-Ching describes it as "something formlessly fashioned, that existed before Heaven and Earth."
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===Hall, Chapters 7 & 8: Compassion & Humility===
  
:2. Te: Power or virtue
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Compassion
  
:3. Yu: Being
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:"By compassion is meant not only the willingness to share another person's pain and suffering; in a larger sense, it refers to a transcendent ability to step outside the moat of one's own self-interest to understand the point of view of another; in a still larger sense, it may take this "feeling for" to the level of mind reading, for the theory of mind—one of the most powerfiil implements that evolution placed in the human cognitive tool kit—requires us to understand the way another person's feelings inform his or her intentions and actions." 116
  
:4. Ching: "Vital essence"  
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:Matthieu Ricard and Richard Davidson studies. (no overarching theory here, but note Davidson on p. 121)  Davidson believes in poss of "training" toward increased well being.
  
:5. "The Way": Refers to a specific spiritual discipline. It can also be loosely translated to doctrine or principle.  
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:Ricard makes the case, on 122, that direct cultivation of compassion could aid in promoting wisdom. follow his view.
  
:Please add to the list if you come across any more. (I plan on adding more as i read) [[User:Kobywarren|Kobywarren]] 23:39, 30 September 2010 (UTC)
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:general point:  importance in this research of thinking of compassion as having a neural substrate.
  
===The Ways of Taoism - Benesch===
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:126: mirror neurons and empathy.
  
:Definitely helps to define the terms as Koby did above, here are some more I found that relate to the Benesch article.
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Humility
  
:* Lao-tzu (Laozi) - also the name of the first foundational text in Taoism
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:puzzle about humility.  can't be a major mark of wisdom, since you could be humble about the fact that you're not wise. [Still, if you can be wise, perhaps you must be humble?  or not?]
::A - referred to as the 'Old Master', Laozi is thought to be a fictional entity, written by librarians wanting to remain anonymous during the warring states period, and in religious forms of Taoism he is thought to be a supreme diety
 
::B - primarily concerned with the Way, and how it is expressed in ''te'', through ''ziran'' and ''wuwei''
 
::: Te: literally translated as virtue, is the means through which the Tao becomes manifest and actualized
 
::: Ziran: literally translated as naturalness
 
::: Wuwei: literally translated as nonaction, it is the ideal way in which rulers should act as presented by Laozi
 
::: Wu: literally translated as Not-Being. does not mean nothingness, but rather wu is an immense void containing all potentialities
 
:* Chuang-tzu (Zhuangzi) - also the name of the second foundational text in Taoism
 
::A - views the Way as an idea, grounded in a single principle, that cannot be sufficiently explained by words, and guides the spontatneous processes of everything
 
  
'''Note:''' - while Laozi and Zhuangzi are both categorized as mystical Toaism, they approach Toaism very differently
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:in religion -- piety and obedience to God. 137
  
:* Huang-lao - this form of Toaism which is concerned with the philosophy of leadership was named after the Yellow Emperor, Huang Di, as well as Laozi, therefore Huang Lao
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:narcissism among CEOs.  correlates with white collar crime.  inverse of humility.  best CEOs blend humility with strong will.
::A - the Huang-Lao philosophers believed that an ideal civilization where peace and harmony existed could evolve when the leaders of the country accorded their Te (virtue, inner nature) with the Tao (nature of things)
 
--[[User:Lars|Lars]]
 
  
===Waley, "Chaung Tzu"===
 
  
====Stories of Chaung Tzu and Hui Tzu====
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===Introduction to Buddhism===
  
:*the tree no one wants to cut.
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* The Four Noble Truths
  
:*story of the huge gourd Hui Tzu complains about.  CT: deal better with your success.  
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:1 There is suffering.  
:*story of family with lotion secret --> value depends on context
 
:*"passionless" accusation q. p. 5 (very much like stoicism)
 
:*p. 6.  famous story of Chaung Tzu's wife dying.  --> shouldn't suffer from emotions.
 
:*p. 8. simple poignant story about loss of Hui Tzu.
 
:*Waley --- parody is a method here.
 
:*[seems like a method of alternative possibilities here and on p. 7]
 
:*"Three in the morning" p. 11
 
:*Chaung Tzu on book learning p. 15.
 
:*p. 16 Lao Tzu presents vision to Confucious
 
:*p. 15-20 on how we fail.
 
:*Confucious call out the sister of Brigand Chiu - gotes to his camp.  Brigan Chi in a rage alot - speech of Brian Chih and Confucious' reaction.  Owww! p. 15
 
  
:*Death
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:2  There is the origination of suffering: suffering comes into existence in dependence on causes.  
::*lyrical ecstatic acceptance of nature (+ death)
 
::*stories about what we should think of death.   p. 31
 
::*32 Note scepticism
 
  
:*The Cicada and the Wren
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:3  There is the cessation of suffering: all future suffering can be prevented by becoming aware of our ignorance and undoing the effects of it.
::*-->things of one nature can't imagine what it would be to be a different nature (sounds like Nagel?)
 
  
:*Autumn Floods --- huh?  please fill in!!
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:4 There is a path to the cessation of suffering.  
:*p. 34.  What it's like to experience Chaung Tzu.
 
:*p. 34-35: Frog and the turtle of the Eastern Sea.
 
  
:*Yoga
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::8 fold path. (see above and in Feuerstein.)
::*the greatest traveller
 
::*38-39 - imgae of being "stuck" in development  --> how to motivate the "stuck"
 
  
:*King Mu and the Wizard
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===Holder, The Greater Discourse on the Destruction of Craving===
::*wizard take king on "journey of the soul"
 
  
:*Yang Sheng
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:The Greater Discourse on the Destruction of Craving starts with the "bad" monk, Sati, who thinks that reincarnation might involve the same consciousness (and so the survival of the self after death). The other bhikkhus rat him out to the Buddha, who calls him out over the issue (in a gentle Buddha way) and goes on to describe both the process of "devolution" by which ignorance leads us to craving (65) and the process of purification that brings about a reversal (66) of the process.  Prior to following the eightfold path, our experience (seeing, hearing, etc.) entails an unhealthy attachment.  After, we presumably have the same kinds of experiences, but without unhealthy attachment.
::*nurturing life - "conserving vital energy"
 
::*1)Secrets of the Chamber
 
::*2)Breath Control
 
::*3)Yoga
 
::*4)Diet
 
  
:*p. 44 statement of Tao -- WISE MAN q. 41-45
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===Matthieu Ricard, "Alchemy of Suffering" and "The Veils of the Ego"===
  
:*from Chaung Tzu  - Principles of Life Nature
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Just a few points:
  
::*Ting applies tao to carving
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:*follow his dicussion of suffering.  including the story of woman who begged the Buddha to restore her dead son.  the possibility of learning from suffering (so, buddhists are not saying that all suffering is "pointless;" just something we can in fact overcome. 72)  
::*Ting -- knife never goes dullYeah!
 
  
:*The Taoist and the Tao
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:*Notice the "exercises" in this kinds of writing.  Again, endorsing idea of direct training of emotional response.  Challenging to some views of the emotions.
::*Man of Extreme Power
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::*No systematic exposition of Tao in Chaung Tzu
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:*From "Veils of the Ego" -- the concern in this chapter is with the status of the ego in buddhism.  Seems like "annihilation" is the protocol, but Ricard makes some important distinctions here. 
::*53-4refusing recognition as a Sage -- being "honored" is a bad thing....
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 +
:*"The ego, writes Buddhist philosopher Han de Wit, "is also an affective reaction to our field of experience, a mental withdrawl based on fear." Out of fear of the world and of others, out of dread of suffering, out of anxiety about living and dying, we imagine that by hiding inside a bubble — the ego — we will be protected. We create the illusion of being separate from the world, hoping thereby to avert suffering. In fact, what happens is just the opposite, since ego-grasping and self-importance are the best magnets to attract suffering." 82
 +
 
 +
:*example of how perspective dependent the possessive ego is:  Notice in different reactions to breaking of the vase.  84.
 +
 
 +
:*86Ricard reconstructs a challenge to Buddhist line of thought. Aren't egos great?  Ricard claims, in response, that a higher level of self-confidence is possible through egoless involvement in the world.
 +
 
 +
:*"The notion of the per-son is valid and healthy so long as we consider it simply as con-noting the overall relationship between the consciousness, thebody, and the environment. It becomes inappropriate and un-healthy when we consider it to be an autonomous entity."  91

Revision as of 17:25, 20 October 2010

October 20, 2010

Hall, Chapters 7 & 8: Compassion & Humility

Compassion

"By compassion is meant not only the willingness to share another person's pain and suffering; in a larger sense, it refers to a transcendent ability to step outside the moat of one's own self-interest to understand the point of view of another; in a still larger sense, it may take this "feeling for" to the level of mind reading, for the theory of mind—one of the most powerfiil implements that evolution placed in the human cognitive tool kit—requires us to understand the way another person's feelings inform his or her intentions and actions." 116
Matthieu Ricard and Richard Davidson studies. (no overarching theory here, but note Davidson on p. 121) Davidson believes in poss of "training" toward increased well being.
Ricard makes the case, on 122, that direct cultivation of compassion could aid in promoting wisdom. follow his view.
general point: importance in this research of thinking of compassion as having a neural substrate.
126: mirror neurons and empathy.

Humility

puzzle about humility. can't be a major mark of wisdom, since you could be humble about the fact that you're not wise. [Still, if you can be wise, perhaps you must be humble? or not?]
in religion -- piety and obedience to God. 137
narcissism among CEOs. correlates with white collar crime. inverse of humility. best CEOs blend humility with strong will.


Introduction to Buddhism

  • The Four Noble Truths
1 There is suffering.
2 There is the origination of suffering: suffering comes into existence in dependence on causes.
3 There is the cessation of suffering: all future suffering can be prevented by becoming aware of our ignorance and undoing the effects of it.
4 There is a path to the cessation of suffering.
8 fold path. (see above and in Feuerstein.)

Holder, The Greater Discourse on the Destruction of Craving

The Greater Discourse on the Destruction of Craving starts with the "bad" monk, Sati, who thinks that reincarnation might involve the same consciousness (and so the survival of the self after death). The other bhikkhus rat him out to the Buddha, who calls him out over the issue (in a gentle Buddha way) and goes on to describe both the process of "devolution" by which ignorance leads us to craving (65) and the process of purification that brings about a reversal (66) of the process. Prior to following the eightfold path, our experience (seeing, hearing, etc.) entails an unhealthy attachment. After, we presumably have the same kinds of experiences, but without unhealthy attachment.

Matthieu Ricard, "Alchemy of Suffering" and "The Veils of the Ego"

Just a few points:

  • follow his dicussion of suffering. including the story of woman who begged the Buddha to restore her dead son. the possibility of learning from suffering (so, buddhists are not saying that all suffering is "pointless;" just something we can in fact overcome. 72)
  • Notice the "exercises" in this kinds of writing. Again, endorsing idea of direct training of emotional response. Challenging to some views of the emotions.
  • From "Veils of the Ego" -- the concern in this chapter is with the status of the ego in buddhism. Seems like "annihilation" is the protocol, but Ricard makes some important distinctions here.
  • "The ego, writes Buddhist philosopher Han de Wit, "is also an affective reaction to our field of experience, a mental withdrawl based on fear." Out of fear of the world and of others, out of dread of suffering, out of anxiety about living and dying, we imagine that by hiding inside a bubble — the ego — we will be protected. We create the illusion of being separate from the world, hoping thereby to avert suffering. In fact, what happens is just the opposite, since ego-grasping and self-importance are the best magnets to attract suffering." 82
  • example of how perspective dependent the possessive ego is: Notice in different reactions to breaking of the vase. 84.
  • 86: Ricard reconstructs a challenge to Buddhist line of thought. Aren't egos great? Ricard claims, in response, that a higher level of self-confidence is possible through egoless involvement in the world.
  • "The notion of the per-son is valid and healthy so long as we consider it simply as con-noting the overall relationship between the consciousness, thebody, and the environment. It becomes inappropriate and un-healthy when we consider it to be an autonomous entity." 91